


Restless

by Sleeping4tNight



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Demon!Barry, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2019-06-21 09:32:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15554760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sleeping4tNight/pseuds/Sleeping4tNight
Summary: Work for the 2018 coldflash gift exchange





	Restless

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Anthela](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anthela/gifts).



Len had never meant for it to happen. 

 

From the outside, his mark had looked like any other home. Albeit a disgustingly expensive home that probably could have fit Len’s apartment in it more than a few times over. No matter, the fancier the home, the more profitable valuables it held. 

 

Normally Len didn’t make a habit of house calls. He preferred to make his fortune from high profile targets. Partially because home robberies were less of a puzzle–less planning, less elegance–partially because it made him feel like more of a small time street rat trying to get “serious.” Len made an exception for this house, though. 

 

He’d done his research on the rumors circulating, and the shocking thing was that they seemed to be true. They all said there was something supernatural going on in that house, and weeks of staking out the place–and the weirdness inside it– was all the proof Len needed. Who knew what price something new like this might fetch from his fence?

 

When he had extended an offer to Mick, his partner had turned him down vehemently. “Stay away from that shit,” he’d said. Len probably should have taken his advice.

 

Len lamented not doing just that when something or other in the occulty house had started glowing. Some kind of trap maybe? Whatever it was, the floor had responded and Len had watched the ground beneath his feet as a glowing pattern appeared around him. The spell circle–he guessed –had flickered with golden lightning just seconds before Len had been dropped directly through the floor and thrown face first into a world of dust. At least, that was all he’d been able to see at first. 

 

The second thing he’d been met with had been considerably more pleasing.

 

As Len’s eyes travelled up from the ground, he was met with red hooves sticking out from underneath oddly out of place dark skinny jeans, followed by the naked arms and torso of a young man. A young man with jagged horns nestled in his rich auburn hair. Despite the inhuman look about the boy, Len was still on board before he noticed the blown wide wild look in the man’s eyes and oddly pale tint to his face. Though it was possible the latter was due to the odd lighting in… wherever the place was.

 

“Who are you?” Len asked first.

 

The man shook his head and focused his gaze on Len’s eyes. “You’re not supposed to be here.”

 

“So I’ll ask where we are in addition to my first question.” Len’s brow twitched as he slowly rose up onto his feet. His instincts were telling him to treat this guy like some kind of shy animal that might get spooked if he moved too quickly.

 

“No, no, no!” The man–demon, Len’s brain belatedly supplied–gripped his horns with both of his hands and turned a few frantic circles. “I should have gotten there faster, I– you’re a human! You can’t be here. If they catch you–if they catch me! I’m going to die again!”

 

“Who’s doing the killing?” Len asked more irritably, tired of being ignored.His fingers twitched toward the gun in his waistband, but he refrained. Wherever he was, there was no way home and no way to reload if he ran out of bullets.

 

That finally gave the young man pause. He stopped fidgeting and stamping his hooves into the dirt. He glanced up and down the dull gray of the alley they were standing in before leaping forward and grabbing Len’s arm to pull him away. “We have to go now. I don’t want to kill you.”

 

“That makes me feel much better,” Len drawled, “but you didn’t answer my question.”

 

“Who’s killing us, right, I remember.” The demon glanced around the corner with flashing hazel eyes before dragging Len out of the alley. “Right now, no one. If anyone else finds out there’s a human here, it’ll be every demon in Pandemonium. I’m Bartholomew, by the way. I’ll be doing my best to keep you alive, I promise.”

 

That had been Len’s first day in the strange world of darkness. After spiriting Len away to his home, Bartholomew (who Len had taken to calling Scarlet because “it’s 2018, that name is worse than any crime I’ve ever committed”) had insisted on keeping Len inside until they could send him back to the mortal plane. This situation wouldn’t normally be a huge problem–at least, not when the home in question was a home and not a huge crooked spire rising out of the ground on the outskirts of the strangest city Len had ever seen.

 

The second problem was, of course, getting Len back home. Scarlet explained that he didn’t have the power send Len back on his own, and that they would just have to wait for the next time he was summoned. 

 

As it turned out, Scarlet wasn’t summoned often. Len only took a few months to figure that out. At first this was no issue. Scarlet was pretty, and Len didn’t mind being holed up in one place too much given the good company. Then three months turned into six, and things started getting more strained.

 

Len needed to vent. As attractive as Scarlet was, they weren’t getting anywhere closer than eating together twice a day. This was what led to their first argument.

 

“Len, where did this come from?”

 

Len glanced up from studiously examine the chthonian book  that seemed the only piece of literature in Scarlet’s dwelling. Scarlet was blocking the doorway, so Len let his gaze trail up the demon’s body until he saw what was in his hand. Truth be told, Len didn’t know what it was when he stole it, but it had looked valuable. The fact that the trinket’s particular shade of red reminded him of Scarlet...well that had nothing to do with it.

 

“A lovely den with minimal security,” Len replied, turning back to his book.

 

“You can’t just steal things, Len! That’s what got you here in the first place!”

 

“As opposed to the demonic practice of stealing souls?” Len raised an eyebrow, putting aside his book. There would be no getting back to it with Scarlet worked up as he was.

 

“That’s not the point!” Scarlet threw the trinket down and stepped closer. “If you’re caught here you’ll be killed. You know that!”

 

“What’s life without a little rush?” Len snapped back. “The adrenaline, the chase?”

 

“That’s not what this is about,” Scarlet dragged his hands down his face in exasperation. 

 

“Then pray tell, what is,” Len rose and stood in front of him. “You stand to lose nothing if I’m killed, so tell me, Scarlet. What is this about?”

 

“I would miss you, you stupid  _ human _ !” he yelled, banging one fist against Len’s chest with more strength than one would expect from his slender arms. Len felt the blow’s bruising power, but stood his ground.

 

Len smiled smugly. “Then you finally admit it.”

 

Scarlet scowled. “Admit what?” 

 

Len lifted one hand to cup Scarlet’s jaw and leaned in, his lips nearly brushing the demon’s pointed ear. “You want me,” he whispered.

 

The shock was evident on Scarlet’s face as Len pulled away, still smirking, and sauntered past him. 

 

“I think I’m going to go lie down, feel free to join me,” he threw over his shoulder.

 

The stumbling of feet and crash of falling objects was his only clue that Scarlet was right on his heels. 

 

It might be six more months until he had a chance to go home, possibly even years, but with any luck… well, Len didn’t think he’d have to worry about being restless again.


End file.
